As morning broke, Liao Tao and his friends emerged, their destinies forever altered. Three among them had unlocked their abilities. They were respectively Fatty with fire element, Lin Zhanyuan with wood element, and Song Qingshan with wind element. Wang Xin, however, remained untouched by this newfound awakening.
Wang Xin felt deeply disappointed as he looked at the three awakened individuals with a complex and envious expression. Sensing his dejection, the three silently concealed their exuberance on their faces. Wen Qing consoled him, "It's okay, there will be another opportunity."
After all, this was only the primary gene modification liquid. There were intermediate and advanced modifiers available as well. The intermediate modifier had an 80% chance of awakening abilities, while the advanced modifier had a 99% chance. Earth and the interstellar world shared the same background but were in different developmental periods, and the energy system was the same. The planetary evolution experienced by Earth was also encountered by the Interstellar Alliance.
Differing from the nascent ability system on Earth, the Interstellar Alliance had already conducted thorough research on abilities. Whether it was the cultivation of abilities or various potions, they had already developed highly sophisticated systems. The gene modifier was one of the research achievements. Its purpose was twofold: to enhance the physical fitness of individuals and to help latent ability holders and ordinary people awaken their abilities. The highest-level gene modifier had an awakening rate as high as 99%. It could be said that nearly everyone in the interstellar world possessed abilities.
That's why she comforted Wang Xin, telling him not to worry. In the future, she would find a way to obtain the advanced modifier. With a 99% chance of awakening, he couldn't possibly be part of the remaining 1%.
Thinking she was consoling herself, Wang Xin mustered a forced smile and said, "Well, I'm fine. Even if I can't awaken, I won't be a burden."
Wen Qing patted his shoulder without saying much.
The atmosphere became somewhat subdued. Liao Tao changed the subject, asking, "Boss, what should we do today?"
"The hydropower plant has been taken care of. Let's go to the provincial road today. Many people drove away after it was cleared yesterday, and the road has become chaotic again," Wen Qing pondered for a moment and continued, "Moreover, if my guess is correct, the military will arrive soon."
"Will the military really come?" Lin Zhanyuan furrowed his brow and asked.
It had been four or five days since the apocalypse began, and there was still no sign of rescue. Even the municipal government was only able to escape with their assistance. He deeply doubted whether there would be a government in the future.
Wen Qing was resolute, saying, "They will come! They definitely will!"
Her words reassured the group. Although they had already decided to follow Wen Qing, they still felt that individual power was incomparable to the power of the nation. As upright and promising young people of the new century, they inherently trusted this strong, fair, democratic, and harmonious country.
Wen Qing was responsible for organizing the out-of-control vehicles, while Liao Tao and the others tested and familiarized themselves with their newly acquired abilities. They also cleared out the zombies and lent a helping hand to trapped humans they came across. Today was the fourth day of the apocalypse, and more and more people were running out of food and coming out to search for sustenance. The number of people using abilities, like them, had increased compared to the previous few days. Under Wen Qing's instructions, Liao Tao and the others distributed survival guidelines to anyone they encountered. The content on the guidelines brought some comfort to the panicked and bewildered survivors.
They remained busy until noon. Wen Qing told Liao Tao and the others to return first while she went to the outskirts of the city on her flying sword. She hunted an exotic beast, a mutant cow, and a few mutant pigs. Just as she was about to head back, she heard the distant sound of car engines. Looking up, she saw several green military pickup trucks heading towards her.
Wen Qing had no intention of drawing attention, so she waited by the roadside for them to pass before continuing on her way. However, unexpectedly, the vehicles stopped right in front of her.
Two men got out of the pickup truck. One was dressed in a green military uniform, tall and imposing. Although he restrained himself upon seeing Wen Qing, she could still sense the strong aura of bloodthirst from him. The other man wore gold-rimmed glasses and had a lean and refined appearance. He was an acquaintance of Wen Qing, He Bizhi.
"Hello, we meet again," He Bizhi spoke first, a faint smile on his face. He slightly leaned to the side and respectfully introduced the military youth next to him, "This is Major General Zhou Hanzhou, the current head of our Luodong Military Region."
Wen Qing nodded. "Hello, I'm Lin Wenqing."
Zhou Hanzhou calmly observed the woman in front of him. He had heard about her efforts in clearing the roads for people's evacuation. On their way here, they had encountered several individuals seeking refuge in the military region, and without exception, they all mentioned this peculiar woman. Through He Bizhi, he also learned that she was doing these seemingly thankless tasks for the sake of rebuilding Ningcheng, which gave him a favorable impression of her. There were indeed very few people with such selfless dedication in the apocalypse.
But what intrigued him the most was her ability. Every survivor who passed through Ningcheng spoke of her tremendous power and unfathomable strength. When it came to formidable individuals, no one could remain uninterested.
Therefore, when He Bizhi confirmed that she was that person, he immediately ordered the convoy to stop.
"You came from the city? What's the current situation in Ningcheng?" Zhou Hanzhou suddenly asked.
"It's relatively stable. There are only low-level zombies in the city, and ordinary people can handle them as long as they muster up the courage. The government is working on repairing the water and electricity systems, so there's a possibility that the supply will be restored today. There haven't been any violent crimes for now, and the order is relatively stable," Wen Qing replied.
Upon hearing her words, Zhou Hanzhou looked at her with surprise. The situation in Ningcheng was better than he expected. As far as he knew, other places had descended into chaos, with lawless individuals taking advantage of the situation. They were engaged in burning, killing, and looting. Even their military region was facing considerable challenges due to a mutated police dog, resulting in significant casualties. It was simply unbelievable that Ningcheng remained so stable.
Could it be... all because of this woman?
Zhou Hanzhou's gaze towards Wen Qing became fervent. "Miss Lin, I have heard about what you have been doing in Ningcheng. There are not many people like you who are selfless, powerful, and dedicated. I sincerely invite you to join the military and work together to combat the crisis of the apocalypse. What do you think?"
"Sorry, I have no intention of joining the military," Wen Qing refused without hesitation. "I don't like being bound by rules. I can't adapt to the strict regulations in the military. However, I will never refuse if there's a place where I can offer help."
She had many things to do, and being in the military would not be as convenient.
Zhou Hanzhou showed a hint of disappointment. "That's fine too. We share a common goal, and identity is not important."
Wen Qing nodded. "Are you planning to enter the city? I'm going back as well. Why don't we go together? We can exchange information about the apocalypse along the way."
"With pleasure. Miss Lin, please!" Zhou Hanzhou noticed she wasn't driving, so he invited her into his car.
The three of them got into the car together, and He Bizhi automatically went to the backseat, giving his place to Wen Qing. After getting in the car, Zhou Hanzhou asked, "Miss Lin, do you know what caused this apocalypse?"
"It's probably a mutation triggered by an unknown substance colliding with the Earth."
This explanation was similar to what Zhou Hanzhou knew. However, he only learned about it because of his affiliation with the military. He wondered how Lin Wenqing came to know about it. Although he was curious, he didn't ask and instead sighed, "I don't know when this disaster will end. Too many people have already died."
As he spoke, a fleeting expression of hidden pain flashed across his determined face. With the advent of the apocalypse, even the military was not spared. Although the percentage of zombification was not as high as that among ordinary people, it still accounted for around ten to twenty percent. Initially, they thought those people had been infected with some virus. Being close comrades, they didn't immediately dispose of the zombies but instead isolated and observed them together.
At that time, they still hoped to develop a vaccine to save those people. However, to their surprise, the zombies kept attacking and absorbing each other's energy while in confinement, eventually evolving into a formidable creature. They suffered considerable damage, which was the reason for their delayed rescue mission.
Wen Qing calmly remarked, "Survival of the fittest. It's not so much a disaster as it is evolution, an evolution of the Earth and all of humanity."
Zhou Hanzhou was startled internally, but he maintained his composure. "Do you know something?"
Wen Qing casually took out a survival guide for the apocalypse and handed it to him. "Here you go, everything you want to know is in here."
Zhou Hanzhou hastily accepted it and began flipping through the pages, too engrossed to question how Wen Qing came to possess the guide out of thin air.
The guide was filled with valuable information, more comprehensive and thorough than what the military had. Zhou Hanzhou carefully read every word, not wanting to miss a single detail. Even when the car passed by the villa where Wen Qing resided, he was still absorbed in studying it.
Wen Qing turned her head and said, "Could you please stop the car? I've arrived."
Only then did Zhou Hanzhou raise his head, his expression a mix of shock and complexity as he looked at her. "Thank you. This information is vital for us. Thank you for sharing it with us."
"Oh, almost everyone in Ningcheng has a copy. It's not a big deal," Wen Qing replied. What she didn't mention was that she had added some personal insights to his copy, including the existence of Earth's evolution and interstellar matters. This was something she hadn't even told Liao Tao and the others because certain things were not suitable for ordinary people to know at this time. It could cause unnecessary panic and uncertainty.
"Regardless, on behalf of all humanity, I thank you. With this information, who knows how many lives can be saved!" Zhou Hanzhou expressed his gratitude solemnly.
Wen Qing smiled and said, "This information can achieve its maximum value in your hands. I alone can't save the world." As she spoke, she pushed open the car door, hopped out, and waved at him. "Goodbye, I'll be on my way."
She took a few steps but then turned back and took out two mutant beast pigs from her space, throwing them onto the ground. "Here, take these. I got lucky today and caught a few extra." These people probably didn't have much dry food with them.
Zhou Hanzhou also jumped down from the car and went forward to take a look. These two pigs were larger than ordinary ones, with thicker skin and sharper fangs. "So these are mutant beast pigs?" He had read about the classification of mutant beasts and zombie beasts in the information Wen Qing had given him. He also learned that mutant beasts and mutant plants were edible.
Wen Qing nodded. "Yes, it's easy to distinguish between mutant beasts and zombie beasts. It's all written in the information, so I won't repeat it. However, you should be aware that mutant beasts can be aggressive too and can even evolve special abilities, just like humans."
Zhou Hanzhou bitterly smiled. "We've already experienced that. We had a military dog in our unit that evolved fire-based abilities. According to the classification in the information you provided, it should be a first-level mutant beast. It gave us a lot of trouble."
Wen Qing could imagine the scene. The difference between first-level and initial-level was not just in terms of abilities. Eliminating a first-level mutant beast must have required a lot of effort. "During the early stages of the apocalypse, first-level zombie beasts and mutant beasts were extremely rare. You were unlucky to encounter one."
Zhou Hanzhou forced a smile. What he didn't say was that they also encountered a first-level zombie beast, which went beyond just being unlucky. It was simply disastrous!
After parting ways with the military, Wen Qing returned to her base. Liao Tao and the other three were discussing their experiences and shortcomings in using their abilities that morning, while Wang Xin was cooking in the kitchen. When Wen Qing entered, he had already started cooking rice. Seeing her come in, he scratched his head sheepishly and smiled, "We still don't have electricity, so I'm steaming the rice using the method my mom taught me."
Wen Qing glanced at the stainless steel basin containing rice and water, directly steamed over boiling water. This was how she used to cook rice in ancient times, before the invention of electric rice cookers.
"It's good. I used to steam rice like this too," Wen Qing smiled slightly. She could tell that after Liao Tao and the others awakened their abilities, Wang Xin felt the pressure and wanted to do more to ease his unease. "Perfect. I didn't use the pork tenderloin from yesterday. We'll have boiled pork slices for lunch and then I'll make a spicy beef."
"Boiled pork slices today?!" Fatty leaned against the kitchen door, his mouth watering. "Boiled pork slices are great, boiled pork slices are great! They go so well with rice!"